How Do Bee Stingers Work? Stated Clearly

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Discover the fascinating complexity of honeybee stingers under an electron microscope, and learn how they work to defend the hive. This video explores the intricate structure and function of a bee's stinger, comparing diagrams to actual footage and high-resolution images. Uncover the details of the venom delivery system and how it enables bees to protect their colony. Although honeybees are gentle creatures, their stingers pack a powerful punch that can cause intense pain or even be deadly in rare cases. Get ready to appreciate one of nature's most amazing weapons!

Special thanks to the scientists who advised on this animation:
Nancy Miorelli https://www.scibugs.info/about
István Mikó https://colsa.unh.edu/person/istvan-miko

Big thanks to Professor MYM who stopped to film himself after getting stung so we could use the footage in this video. You can find his stock videos here: https://www.pond5.com/artist/profmym476

Corrections:
In the video, I say Mel means honey in Latin, and claim that's why the fear of bees is called "Melissophobia." While Mel does mean honey in Latin, I'm told the term "melissophobia" actually came from the Greek word "mélissa," meaning bee. It's likely that Latin and Greek have similiar words because they both come from a shared Indo-European language ancestor.

Sources:
(Book, 1910, Free) THE ANATOMY OF THE HONEY BEE | Snodgrass, R. E.
https://thebeeyard.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Anatomy.of_.the_.Honeybee.Snodgrass.1910.pdf

(Paper, 2015, Free) Structures, properties, and functions of the stings of honey bees and paper wasps: a comparative study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4571097/

(Paper, 2011, Free) Sting microsculpture in the digger wasp Bembix rostrata (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261366205_Sting_microsculpture_in_the_digger_wasp_Bembix_rostrata_Hymenoptera_Crabronidae

Keywords: Bee Stinger, Honeybee, Electron Microscope, Venom, Structure, Function

#stinger #honeybee #anatomy